TV is better and more personal than ever

Today is the 20th anniversary of World Television Day – a day that celebrates the medium of TV and the power it has to enrich lives.

TV is not just TV anymore

We love TV – especially the way it has changed over the last two decades. TV isn’t just TV anymore. It offers more choice, personalized content and formats than ever.

Twenty years ago, many of us began to make the transition from analog to digital - and saw a whole new world of entertainment possibilities emerge. The picture quality improved, sound was enhanced, and more importantly, it set the scene for many new features that could be introduced.

HD brought added realism to visual content, while DVRs and on-demand content are now invaluable - we no longer need to plan our day around our favorite shows. We no longer have to accept compromise when we settle in to spend an evening in front of the TV.

TV has been democratized

But perhaps the biggest change in TV over the last 20 years is the way it has been democratized. YouTube launched in 2005, and suddenly we began to see ourselves onscreen. It’s a medium that allowed us to become generators of our own content, with a global audience of a billion users to share it with. What’s more, YouTube gave us access to a wealth of information on a wide range of topics in a way that was previously difficult to view. It’s a departure from the days when just a few major broadcasters had the power to beam visuals into our living rooms.

TV now caters for more diverse interests and niche audiences are better engaged than ever. And when you add the ability for OTT services such as Netflix to provide recommendations based on tastes and viewing habits, we can now build our own viewing schedules.

TV is everywhere

TV has also been democratized in the way it's consumed. It now lives on our mobiles, our tablets - and who knows where else we'll be watching in the future? As such, content is being streamed in more places than ever. We can enjoy entertainment on our own terms, breaking free from the one screen philosophy that defined a generation.

TV has always been about great entertainment and opening a window to the rest of the world. That will never change. What will change, however, is that it will better mirror our tastes, lifestyles and consumption habits. The TV no longer works in isolation - it is enhanced by connectivity in our homes and on our devices. And with innovation taking place by the technology providers, broadcasters, program makers and service providers, there's much more to be excited about for the next 20 years.